Posted on 12/20/2007 8:13:10 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
Gambling debts, false statements under oath, bank fraud and secret gifts from lawyers form the heart of an extraordinary impeachment referral that was lodged Thursday against U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous Jr.
An administrative panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans barred Porteous from overseeing certain cases and sent its findings to the Judicial Conference of the United States, a national body chaired by Chief Justice John Roberts. If the conference agrees, the case would go to the U.S. House of Representatives to consider steps to remove Porteous from office.
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It has been 14 years since the council last found grounds to remove a federal judge in these three states. In 1993, Judge Robert Collins of the District Court in New Orleans, who had been convicted two years earlier of taking a $100,000 bribe from a drug smuggler, had his impeachment case pending before the House Judiciary Committee when he resigned.
His replacement on the bench was none other than Porteous, nominated by President Clinton.
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According to the Judicial Council's ruling, the investigation found "substantial evidence" that Porteous:
-- Filed "numerous false statements under oath" during his joint bankruptcy proceedings with his wife, Carmella. Porteous concealed assets, failed to identify gambling losses and violated Bankruptcy Court orders against taking on more debt "in that he continued regularly to incur short-term extensions of credit from various casinos," the Judicial Council said.
-- "Engaged in fraudulent and deceptive conduct" concerning a debt he owed to Regions Bank before the bankruptcy.
-- Took gifts from attorneys with cases on his docket and failed to report them for six years, from 1994 to 2000.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Friend of Cong. William Jefferson (D) LA perhaps?
Alcee Lamar Hastings (born September 5, 1936) is a U.S. politician, who was an impeached and removed federal judge and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing Florida's 23rd congressional district
Hey, Its’ just a Liberal Resume’ “enhancement”.
Impeachment should impair his political career. He can always become a Congressman.
Ah, what's wrong with this? That's not an impeachable offense, it's a resume enhancement.
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